Field
Aspects of the present invention generally relate to a radiographing system, a control apparatus, a radiation imaging apparatus, and a method for controlling the radiographing system.
Description of the Related Art
Known radiographing systems irradiate an object with radiation generated from a radiation generating apparatus, digitize a radiographic image based on the intensity distribution of the radiation passed through the object, and process the digitized image to generate a clear radiographic image using a radiation imaging apparatus. Radiation imaging apparatuses including a wireless communication function have been developed that transfer image data on the generated radiographic image to a control computer of the radiographing system to process and store the image data.
Radiation imaging apparatuses including the wireless communication function can be moved to a plurality of radiographing rooms for use. When the radiographing room for use is changed, settings on wireless communication and association with a control computer to be communicated with are made. If a plurality of radiation imaging apparatuses are associated with one control computer, a radiation imaging apparatus for use in radiographing is designated. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2015-6413 proposes a method of radiographing for a case where a radiation imaging apparatus is moved to a different radiographing room. This method involves making settings for wireless communication and association with a control computer and designating a radiation imaging apparatus to be used in the next radiographing.
However, an issue with the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2015-6413 is as follows. Suppose that immediately before an operator A takes a radiograph of an object using a control computer A and a radiation imaging apparatus A, an operator B presses a radiographing-enabled-state transition switch of a radiation imaging apparatus B associated with the control computer A without associating the radiation imaging apparatus B with a control computer B. The radiographing-enabled-state transition switch is a switch for shifting the radiation imaging apparatus into a radiographing enabled state.
In this case, the radiation imaging apparatus B operated by the operator B enters into the radiographing enabled state, and the radiation imaging apparatus A that the operator A is going to use for radiographing enters into a radiographing disabled state. If the operator A issues an instruction to apply radiation to the object without being aware of the radiographing disabled state, the object is irradiated with radiation, but the radiation imaging apparatus B forms an invalid image, and thus the object to be radiographed by the radiation imaging apparatus A is exposed to radiation without a valid image being obtained.